Father's Day
by I Can Kill You With My Brain
Summary: Two very different Father's Days.
1. Chapter 1

**Father's Day**

_Three years ago_

River skipped down the hallway towards the dining room, her home-made present clutched in her hands. She thought it was beautiful. She had drawn their house, with the large oak tree out front extending its branches to cover the family of four that stood on the front lawn.

She stuck her head around the doorway then smiled when she saw that only her father was in the dining room.

She ran into the room and threw her arms around him, making sure that she didn't crush her present. Her father laughed and returned the hug, holding her tightly.

"I'm going to miss your enthusiasm River," he teased. River smiled, but it was a sad smile. This was going to be her last Father's Day for several years.

She put down her present on the table, once again admiring the beautiful blue wrapping paper with gold stripes she had wrapped it in. Her father smiled, then faked a look of surprise.

"For me?" River stuck her tongue out at him.

"Open it," she pleaded. Her father was just reaching for the present when footsteps caused them both to look up.

"Am I interrupting?" asked Simon, standing in the doorway. River shrieked with joy and launched herself across the room and into her brother.

"Whoa there," said Simon, smiling slightly. He gently detached River, holding up a package wrapped in red.

"This is breakable," he said. Their father smiled at him.

"Simon, we haven't seen you for three weeks!" he exclaimed, moving to stand up. River immediately ran over to him and pushed him back down.

"It's Father's Day, you can't move," she said. Their father rolled his eyes then reached out and pulled her down onto his lap. River giggled and struggled wildly.

Simon gently put his parcel down onto the table and came over to them, picking River easily off of her father and swinging her onto his back, just like he had done since she was a baby.

River giggled, but felt slightly surprised that Simon could still carry her. She was only five or six inches shorter than he was now. Though he was, she supposed, five years older.

Their father rolled his eyes and reached for Simon's package. Simon and River watched as he slowly peeled off the wrapping paper and revealed a new, portable model of the cortex.

"Simon," gasped their father, looking at it with shock, "This is way to expensive." River noticed that he didn't let it go though.

Simon shrugged. "I know a guy that works in the machine department. I got a discount." River grinned. Even with the discount, she knew it had been expensive. Simon was just playing the martyr, like always.

Her father looked at it with interest, and Simon deposited River and went around to look over his father's shoulder.

"You know, the best part is the source box," Simon said. "Instead of the message taking a couple of minutes, the second that someone presses the send button it appears."

Their father looked surprised at that and checked his mail.

"Huh," he said, reading through his messages. "That's cool." Suddenly, he stood up.

""I'm sorry, it appears that we have a problem," he said, walking towards the door. "I'll be back later."

River watched in disbelief as he vanished from the room. Seconds later they could hear the car pulling away. She glanced sadly at her still-unwrapped present.

Simon noticed where she was looking and his mouth formed an 'o'.

"I'm sorry River," he said softly, putting his arm around her shoulders. River shrugged, blinking back tears. She was leaving for the Academy tomorrow, and her father hadn't even opened her present.

"Do you want to leave it?" asked Simon. River nodded.

"Let's go pack," said Simon after a couple minute's time. River looked up at him.

"I've already finished," River said softly, though that wasn't strictly true. She didn't want any more reminders today. Simon knew she was lying, but he understood why.

"Do you want to go out?" he offered instead. River nodded. It looked like, once again, she was going to spend Father's Day with her brother instead of her father.


	2. Chapter 2

**Father's Day**

_Present Day_

River walked into the kitchen, following the noise. Everyone sat around the table, laughing and eating. Simon looked up and smiled at her.

"River, we're celebrating Father's Day!" he cried out happily. River glanced at his mug, clasped in his hand. He was semi-drunk.

"Yeah," said Jayne. River looked at him. Now _he_ was drunk. Next to Simon, Kaylee laughed.

"Mal has been elected the 'father,'" she said with a giggle. Mal shrugged.

"Hey, I like free gifts," he said. Perched on his head was the new hat that Inara had gotten him. Book rolled his eyes.

River walked slowly over to Simon and sat down, placing a small package, wrapped with brown paper, on the table.

Simon smiled at her, and River reached out and nudged his cup away from him.

"Guess what?" he said excitedly, "Next year, I get to be the 'father' which means you're going to have to buy me a present." He started laughing, and River joined in. Simon didn't even like children.

Inara patted her hand. "It's an annual celebration," the companion whispered. "Last year, it was Wash." River nodded, she had already figured that out.

Mal opened another present, this one from Wash. It was a plastic dinosaur.

"How…thoughtful," he said, staring at the little toy with bemusement. Wash beamed.

"I knew it was perfect," he said delightedly. Zoe gave her husband a small, disbelieving smile and handed a gun with a bow stuck on it to Mal. His face lit up.

"Awesome," he breathed. River looked at him.

"On Mother's Day, when it's my turn, can I have a gun to?" Simon choked and stared at Mal in horror.

Mal blinked, then reached out and snatched up another present. He quickly ripped it open to reveal a new brown coat. River frowned, he was avoiding the issue. It didn't matter, she would get the answer to her question some day.

"That's from me and Simon," said Kaylee gaily, reaching over to hug Mal. Mal smiled back at her and gently hung the coat over the back of the chair. River looked at Simon.

From the look on his face, he had never seen the coat before. Kaylee must have gotten it for him. When Mal looked at him though, he hastily rearranged his features into a smile. River rolled her eyes. Her brother was an idiot.

"I got ya a gun," said Jayne, his words slurring together a little. Book shrugged.

"I helped," he offered. Mal shrugged then leaned back and stretched.

"Not a bad haul," he said contentedly. River looked hopefully at her present, which was still lying on the table. Maybe he just hadn't seen it yet. She reached out and nudged it towards him.

Looking down, Mal smiled and started reaching for it. Just then, the ship rocked wildly, causing the crew to grab onto their chairs. Wash tried to stand up but slipped and fell.

Mal gave a small groan and stood up to, turning to go and check on the ship.

River stared sadly at her present, still lying on the table. Just as Mal reached the doorway, he turned back and walked over to the table. With a wink at River he picked up her present and walked back out the door. River beamed after him.

"River, what did ya get him?" asked Kaylee curiously. River smiled back at her.

"I painted a picture of Serenity."


End file.
